Saturday, Apr 27, 2013 - 1:00 AM
"Bend and Stretch"
We all expect a spring to stretch or compress when a force is applied, but forces can even deform solid objects like the floor or the top of a table. In this workshop, students in a high school classroom explore ideas about tension and normal force. By applying a force to a spring and measuring the distance the spring is stretched, the students calculate the force constant or stretchiness of the spring. Lecture demonstrations using student volunteers help to illustrate that even rigid objects bend when a force is applied.G